Together at Last
by Sadie1
Summary: This is a j/c fic. It's sweet and romantic, so if you don't like that sort of thing, don't read it. Try some of my other writting.


Together at Last  
  
By Kate  
  
Disclaimer: Paramount owns all the characters, sniff sniff, but I own the restaurant, the plate, and the dresses. Ha!  
  
"Hello Ensign Kim. Are communications up yet?"  
  
"Yes Commander, they just came back a few moments ago.  
  
"Good."  
  
"I was just about to go tell Captain Janeway when you walked in."  
  
"Never mind; I'll tell her. But first, I need to talk to someone on the other end of this communications network. Privately."  
  
So, Ensign Kim and the rest of the crewman left the room.  
  
"Chakotay to Earth."  
  
"Hello, this is a reserved airway for the ship USS Voyager, NCC- 74656. Please leave this airway open for that ship's use only."  
  
"Who do you think this is? I am Commander Chakotay of the USS Voyager. Let me speak with the Admiral on duty."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Hello? Is this the USS Voyager?"  
  
"Yes sir. We are in the Beta Quadrant at the moment, but we are quickly approaching Pluto."  
  
"Wow! So you mean to say that you will arrive back in San Francisco in a matter of hours?!"  
  
"Not really sir. We plan to stop on Pluto tomorrow and stay there until the next morning. Then we will set off towards home. This way our entire crew can rest and your crew can be ready for our homecoming."  
  
"Okay, well we shall await your return."  
  
"Admiral, before you sign off is there any possible way for me to talk to Captain Janeway's mother?"  
  
"Why yes, she just stopped in to see how things are going. Let me go get her. Oh, wait, dear God has something happened to her?"  
  
"Just put her mother on the line!"  
  
"Hello?" Her voice was very quiet and worried.  
  
Chakotay thought to himself, "What are we coming to? Admirals not knowing what they are doing. First this guy assumed that Kathryn was in trouble (and as we all know assuming makes an ass out of you and me), and then he goes and tells everyone in sight."  
  
"Hello. Before you say another word I would like to tell you that your daughter is in excellent condition."  
  
"Thank the good Lord for that."  
  
"At the very moment she is asleep in her quarters and does not even know that communications are back online."  
  
"So then who are you and why are you talking to me?"  
  
"My name is Chakotay, and I am in love with your daughter. I admire everything she does and would like to ask you for her hand in marriage."  
  
"Well, you must be quite the gentleman to wait for communications to come back before you can ask for her hand in marriage. If Kathryn is truly in love with you then she should arrive home a married woman."  
  
"Then all I have to say is thank you and wish me the best of luck."  
  
"You won't need luck if you are in love with her. See you soon, Chakotay."  
  
"Bye then; take care."  
  
Just then a very sleepy Kathryn Janeway walked in.  
  
"Who were you talking to?"  
  
Stumbling for words Chakotay answered, "Well, communications came back while you were sleeping, and they asked when we would be arriving home. I told them that we would stop and rest on Pluto tomorrow and sail home the next morning."  
  
"What?! Oh well too late now; how about no more rash decisions while I'm away, huh?"  
  
"Yes Captain."  
  
"Let's both get some shut eye while we can and take it from here tomorrow. Harry!"  
  
"Yes Captain?"  
  
"Please take full control of the bridge once more."  
  
"Yes Captain."  
  
* * *  
  
"Good morning Captain."  
  
"Morning. Neelix!"  
  
"Here's your coffee Captain, just as you like it."  
  
"Thank you Neelix. Tom, we are going to stop at Pluto today."  
  
"Why don't we just go home."  
  
"Don't question me, ask Chakotay." As Janeway said this she gave Chakotay "the look."  
  
In a matter-of-fact voice Chakotay replied, " I simply thought that we could all use a little rest before our big debut so that we look wide eyed and bushy tailed."  
  
Tom commented, "Oh," in such a tone that said "Chakotay, what did you do?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Wow, Pluto is really beautiful."  
  
"Kathryn, you have to admit this is on of the most beautiful places we've been to over the past seven years."  
  
"Ya, well I'm going to enjoy it by going to the market place. Anyone else want to come along?"  
  
"Sure, I'll come with you," B'Elanna said cheerfully.  
  
"Okay, any other takers?"  
  
"Maybe I'll join up with you guys in a little while," Chakotay said.  
  
"Bye!"  
  
After the captain and B'Elanna had left Chakotay went over to Tom.  
  
"Tonight's the night."  
  
"For what, Chakotay?"  
  
"I'm gonna pop the question."  
  
"To Seven?"  
  
"No, that was all just a cover up."  
  
"The kiss?"  
  
"A hologram from the holodeck."  
  
"Then who?"  
  
"What I have to put up with. Kathryn, of course!"  
  
"Good luck."  
  
"Thanks. Hey, you want to go into town with me. That way I can get a ring, make reservations at a beautiful restaurant, and find a priest for tonight if everything works out right."  
  
"Tonight!"  
  
"Yah, I talked with Kathryn's mom when we first got in touch with base. She said that if we were both in true love that we should come back home a married couple."  
  
"Wow, we better start looking for that ring then."  
  
'Okay."  
  
* * *  
  
"The ring has to be just perfect, like Kathryn," commented Chakotay as they strolled through the market place."  
  
"Do you want to stop in here?"  
  
"Can't hurt. Ooh, wow, look at this ring! It's beautiful; simple but elegant."  
  
"Yes that is one of my favorites."  
  
As the short, balding storekeeper said this Tom and Chakotay were so surprised that they almost jumped a foot into the air. This was when Chakotay actually realized his surroundings. The shop was very organized and neat, unlike the other stores in the market place. Even though the store was outside it had a cozy and welcoming look.  
  
"The band on the ring is 24 karat gold and the diamond is beautiful placed in the center like that."  
  
"I agree, it's almost perfect, but could you engrave something on the inside of the band for me?"  
  
"Sure, what do you want it to say?"  
  
"Kathryn and Chakotay, together at last."  
  
"I can manage that in a few minutes if you don't mind waiting."  
  
"Okay."  
  
After a while the shopkeeper gave Chakotay the newly engraved ring and as he was paying the man Chakotay asked, "Is there a good restaurant around here for proposing to the girl of your dreams?"  
  
"Yes, about two blocks down. It's called The Rose. Romance Capital of the Galaxy. Oh, and don't forget your coat and tie for it."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
* * *  
  
After making reservations at The Rose for 7:30pm, Chakotay and Tom set off to find Kathryn and B'Elanna. Just then Tom bumped into a fairly pregnant woman that was walking past.  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
"Tom?"  
  
"B'Elanna! Imagine that, we were just going to go looking for you two."  
  
"Well you found us. Hey Captain look who I bumped into."  
  
"Tom! Chakotay!"  
  
"Hi! So Kathryn," Chakotay inquired, "what are you doing for dinner tonight?"  
  
"Are you asking me out on a date?"  
  
"So what if I am?"  
  
"If you were I think I'd say yes."  
  
"Good, because I am."  
  
"Well I'd be delighted."  
  
"7:30 sound good."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Great. And don't forget to wear a dress! It's required."  
  
"A dress; I think I just might have to go shopping for one of those. B'Elanna would you like to come with?"  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
"Okay, just let me go freshen up in the bathroom and I'll be right back."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Once Captain Janeway had left Chakotay turned to B'Elanna right away.  
  
"B'Elanna, if you can try to persuade Kathryn into buying something white. Seeing as how it just might become her wedding dress."  
  
"Her what!" B'Elanna squealed in delight.  
  
"I'm going to ask her to marry me tonight and if everything goes right we shall be a married couple before tomorrow morning!"  
  
"Oh fun. Now I'm going to have to get myself a new dress for the wedding. I'll tell her that it is for when we get back because I'm sure there will be a lot of parties when we get home."  
  
"Good, have fun and don't get lost in this jungle of stores!"  
  
"See you when we get back to the ship honey."  
  
"Bye Tom. Bye Chakotay."  
  
* * *  
  
At 7:20 Chakotay knocked on Kathryn's door. He was wearing a black tux with a bow tie.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Your date."  
  
"Come on in."  
  
As Chakotay opened the door he almost thought the he had the wrong door. Kathryn was in a beautiful pearl-white dress. It had thin straps and looked like it was satin. Kathryn looked amazing in it. Her hair was slightly curled, like always, but it was accented beautifully by the dress. On her arms, Kathryn wore what looked to be a satin shall that matched her dress perfectly. She was also wearing a gold necklace around her neck and a matching bracelet.  
  
"Who's wedding are you going to?" Kathryn teased.  
  
Chakotay thought, " Yours but you don't know it yet." Instead of saying that, thou, he said, "You look absolutely gorgeous."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Shall we go?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Okay."  
  
As they walked out arm in arm many of the crewman and ensigns turned their heads to either gasp at the fact that Chakotay was wearing a tux or at how magnificent their captain looked. Tom turned to look at the captain and couldn't help whistling the wolf whistle, which in turn earned him a cuff on the head from B'Elanna. Even Tuvock let down his guard a little and stared at the captain's miraculous transformation. Chakotay was very proud of the fact that Captain Kathryn Janeway was his date and only his.  
  
Once they arrived at the restaurant Chakotay asked for their table and they were seated by a beautiful bay window peering out into the distant land. Nothing really amazing happened during the meal other than the fact that Chakotay wouldn't let Kathryn have coffee. Instead they had their special drink, Altarian Cider. Then it came time for dessert.  
  
"Kathryn would you like to try some of their chocolate cake with me. I heard that it is the best anywhere close to here."  
  
"Okay."  
  
After a few moments the waiter brought out a beautiful dish. The plate itself was cream in color and on it the words "Will you marry me?" appeared in a mauve. On the other side of the plate there was a piece of chocolate cake with a single flower in the middle of it. In the very center of the flower there was something shining.  
  
Kathryn took this all in and started to cry. She picked out the piece that was shining in the middle of the flower. It was the ring,  
  
"Kathryn and Chakotay, together at last," she read. "Yes I will marry you Chakotay. I have loved you for so long, but I thought that you were with Seven."  
  
"No, that was only a cover up so that no one would expect that I really loved you. But I guess that worked too well because even you didn't know. After a while I decided that you were the only one for me, so I asked your mother's permission to marry you and she said yes so I plan to do so."  
  
"When did you ask my mother?!" Kathryn asked while sniffling back tears.  
  
"As soon as the communication systems came back. That was who I was talking to when you came into the room last night."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yes, but what about the dessert.'  
  
"The plate is ours so we'll bring it back on that."  
  
"Okay."  
  
So Chakotay paid the bill and they left, hand in hand.  
  
On their walk back Kathryn asked, " So when shall we get married?"  
  
"I thought tonight would be as good as any."  
  
"But we don't have anything ready."  
  
"Yes we do. I did that all before we left, hoping you'd say yes."  
  
"Wow!"  
  
"And don't worry about you're mother's consent, she said that if we were truly in love we'd come back a married couple."  
  
"Oh, I love you Chakotay."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
Just then they entered the ship and found almost everything deserted, and then they found everyone. They were all in a beautifully decked out room. There was a priest and all of their friends and flowers everywhere. Kathryn almost started to cry again when Chakotay said, "I guess we're late for our own wedding."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
As Kathryn said this, Tuvock came up from behind her and said, " Everyone thought I should escort you up the aisle seeing as how I was one of the oldest and closest crewmembers to you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The ceremony went on and Naomi threw down white rose petals as their flower girl and Tom and B'Elanna stood up as Best Man and the Maiden of Honor. B'Elanna wore her new blue satin dress that they had picked out at the store today and Tom wore a tux. They each said their vows and before they knew it they were kissing their first true kiss. After they had cut the cake and had fed each other a piece of it they danced to a few slow songs and then headed off for their own separate bedrooms when they realized that they were married and could sleep together in one room without any suspicion.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning everyone had put their things together in a pile in their rooms and then headed off to their stations. They were taking their positions on the bridge of the USS Voyager for the last time. Everyone was sad but happy that they were going home. Kathryn and B'Elanna started to cry but soon realized that they could write letters to each other and keep in contact. Then it was time to land.  
  
Chakotay asked, "Can I land us?"  
  
"How about you and Tom do it together," Kathryn replied.  
  
"Okay."  
  
And so, for one of the very few times in his life, Chakotay landed the ship with Tom's help and they didn't crash! It was an accomplishment that everyone onboard Voyager was thankful for.  
  
After they landed the crew walked off of the ship and heard this, "And here is the crew of the USS Voyager, NCC-74656. First off the ship is Captain Kathryn Janeway. Next is Commander Chakotay."  
  
At this Chakotay made his decision and decided to lift Kathryn into his arms and as he did this he whispered to her, "I have to carry you over the threshold of our new home."  
  
Kathryn excepted this and allowed herself to be carried down the stairs of the USS Voyager and set down in front of the many nations awaiting their return. It was good to be back home and Kathryn knew it. 


End file.
